Improvement in solar cameras



datiert tant @anni @wie ISALAH PAXSON AND CHARLES vPAXSOY, OF NEW YORK,N. Y.

Letters .Patent No. 98,404, dated December 2S, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT IN SOLAR CAMERAS.

The Schedule referred to in thse Letters Patent and making part of thesame.

Mun-

We, IsAIAH PAXsoN and CHARLES PAXsoN, ot the city of New lYork, in thecounty and State of New York, have invented certain Improvements inSolar Cameras, of which the following is 'a specification.

The nature of our invention consists, in the first place, in providingthe' negative-bolder with springs for clasping the negative, inconjunctionwith clamping-strips, whereby a single holder is adapted tonegatives of different sizes, thus obviating the necessity of having 'aAholder for each size negative.

In the second place, it consists in the employmen of a bellowsinthevignetting-device, whereby, by the expansion and contraction of thebellows, effected as hereinaiter-desc1ibed, the vignettinglens isadjusted altitudinally, to increase or diminish the size of the picture,as may be desired.

In the third place, it consists in combining and arranging verticalscrew-rods with the printing-board, for elevating and-depressing thesame, the said rods being provided with grooved wheelson their upperends, around which an endless chain is placed, so that by pulling thechain in one direction, the said screw-rods are revolved simultaneously,and with equal velocities, for elevating Athe printing-board, or bypulling the chain in the opposite direction, depressing the same; hencethe altitudinal adjustment of the board is conveniently andexpeditiously effected, and with great precision.

In the fourth place, the invention consists in constructing the lowerand large' part of the camera-box o t' a frame-workLand canvas stretchedover the same. The canvas is painted so as to thoroughly fill up theopenings, to prevent light passing through into the dark chamber. Theobject of this construction is to obviate the ditculty oftenexperienced, in the cracking of the boards, on account of their greatwidth, unless this part of the box is panelled, which increases theexpense much beyond the canvasing. Another advantage resulting from thisimproved construction is, the box is much lighter than when madealtogether of boards.

.Lo enable others skilled in the art to which our improvementappertains, to apply the same to practice, we will now proceed to give adetailed description thereof'.

In the accompanying' dra-wings, which make a part of this specitcation-Figure 1 is a plan view of the improved camera.

Figure 2 is a vertical section of thc same, at the dotted line a bofiig. 1.

Figure 3 is an isometrical view of the vignettingdevice, in a reversedposition.

Figure 4 is a like view of the negative-holder, O, and parts inconnection therewith.

on the pins e' c,

Like letters in all the iigures indicate the same parts.

A is the camera-box, which is made in the usual manner, with theexception of the bottom part, A.

I make this part of'a frame, a, and canvas b, which is stretched overit, on account of its great width, which involves the danger of cracks',which let the light into the dark chamber B, when this enlarged part ismade of boards.

Sometimes, to overcome the difficulty experienced in the cracking ofsuch Wide boards by their shrinkage, resort is had to panelling thislarge part of the box, but this involves an' increase of expense muchabove that incidental to my mode of construction.

After the canvas is stretched around the frame and on the bottom, andproperly confined with tacks, or otherwise, I thoroughly paint it, toprevent light striking through it into the dark chamber B.

The printing-board C is supported and adjusted at any desired altitude,by means of the vertical screwrods D D D D, as more clearly seen in iig.l.

The rods work in nuts c, that are contined to the lower side ot" theboard by means ot' screws.

There are grooved wheels, E E E E, on the upper ends of' the saidv rods,which receive the endless chain F.

The small grooved pulleys, G G G G, areused to cause the chain to hugaround the wheels E, an i'n-y creased distance. Y

The chain F is manipulated by hand, and is pulled in the direction ofthearrow, when the board C is to have an upward movement,`and'contrariwise when it is to be lowered.

This mode oi' adjusting the board C admit-s of its being lowered furtherthan in the usual mode of adjustment, and much more expeditiously, andwith greater accuracy. v

H is a'vignettlngdevice, shown in detail in iig. 3, the device beinginverted.

The bellows I is confined at its end, l, to the board J, and the end, 2,to the frame K, which has grooves d (l, which support the lenseholder L.

The lensin the holder L is elevated or depressed, as may be required bythe contraction or expansion of the bellows I, which is' eected by meansof the hinged strips M M and M M', the two former partially turning attheir inner ends on the pins e e, which project from the vertical plateN, `or flange of the frame K; the inner ends ot' the strips M M' turningwhich project from the blockf, on the under side ot' the board J, andthe outer end of the strips being connected by means of the pins e" c".Any other convenient mode may be adopt-ed for operating the bellows, ifdesired. Y

O is a negative-holder, which is adapted to negatives of various sizes,by being lprovided with the clamping-springs P P, as seen in figs. 1 and4.

The negative, Q, is supported by the rebated strips R-R, which rest onthe slide S.

The resilient parte, g, of the springs bearagainst the said strips, oreise against the intermediate strips h h, any desirable number of whichmaybe nsedwhen required to ll up between the springs and the strips R R,or the strips h to be kept on -hand for filling in, may be of variousthicknesses, for convenience in the adjustment.

Indiafrubber or other springs may be used, when desired, instead of thesprings P P, as represented in the drawings. I

What we iaim as our invention, and desire to secure by' Letters Patent,is-

conjointly, as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony that the above is our invention, we have hereunto set ourhands and afiixed'ourseais, this 2d day of October, 1869. v

ISAIAH PAXSON. [15. s] CHAS. PAXSON. [In 3.]

Witnesses:

WARREN W. HALLOCK, STEPHEN UsTrcK.

rods having wheels E on their upper ends, which',` have the endlesschain F in connection, all operating

